Trial Talk

Episode 8: International Clinical Trials Methodology Conference 2024 roundup - Early Careers Edition

UCL Minds — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 14:04:19 +0000

At the start of October, lots of the Unit’s clinical trials methodology researchers travelled to Edinburgh, for the 7th International Clinical Trials Methodology Conference (ICTMC). ICTMC is the largest academic-led conference on clinical trials, bringing together trialists from across the globe to present their latest work in trials methodology. This year's conference featured a wide variety of workshops, talks and poster presentations from MRC Clinical Trials Unit researchers. I

n this latest episode of the Trial Talk podcast, four of the Unit’s early career researchers discuss the work they presented at ICTMC 2024. Gideon Darko Asamoah tells us how he will deliver a core outcome set for trials in severe malaria; Jingyi Xuan describes her project addressing intercurrent events in platform trials; Dongquan Bi discusses the effects of different cluster sizes in cluster trials; and finally, Kate Roberts explains how she aims to improve the wording around consent for accessing trial participants' healthcare records.

For questions or feedback on the series, message us at mrcctu.engage@ucl.ac.uk
For more information and to access the transcript: bit.ly/4f9grVi
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More resources:
• Developing a core outcome set for severe malaria trials poster: www.mrcctu.ucl.ac.uk/posters/identi…nd-caregivers/
• Specifying estimands and estimators in trials with complex designs poster: www.mrcctu.ucl.ac.uk/posters/specif…mplex-designs/
• Demystifying estimands in cluster-randomised trials paper in Statistical Methods in Medical Research: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/09622802241254197
• Estimands in cluster-randomised trials paper in International Journal of Epidemiology: academic.oup.com/ije/article/52/1/107/6644521
• Current practice around the use of estimands in cluster randomised trials, and the impact of informative cluster size on inference poster: www.mrcctu.ucl.ac.uk/posters/curren…on-inferences/
• ICTMC 2024 Poster 167 – A rap song (Lyrics by Dongquan Bi, beat by David Fitzgerald): youtu.be/s7qZ5TnOlWU?si=iXwfFfSAWwJ-fAmk
• CrossWord poster: www.mrcctu.ucl.ac.uk/posters/crossw…ing-materials/

Date of episode recording: 2024-10-30T00:00:00Z
Duration: 00:25:09
Language of episode: English
Presenter:Charlotte Hartley
Guests: Gideon Darko Asamoah, Jingyi Xuan, Donguan Bi, Kate Roberts
Producer: Charlotte Hartley

Episode 7: Preventing multidrug-resistant tuberculosis

UCL Minds — Wed, 25 Sep 2024 16:29:16 +0100

In September 2024, the World Health Organization (WHO) released new guidance on preventative treatment for tuberculosis (TB). Thanks to new evidence from two randomised controlled clinical trials, the WHO now recommends that contacts of people with multidrug-resistant TB take six months of daily levofloxacin. In this episode of the Trial Talk podcast, we find out more about the TB-CHAMP and VQUIN trials. We also learn how the teams came together to combine their data and strengthen their evidence, using new statistical methodologies developed at the MRC Clinical Trials Unit at UCL. The episode features interviews with Anneke Hesseling, Principal Investigator for TB-CHAMP, based at Stellenbosch University, and Trinh Duong, based at the MRC CTU at UCL, the trial statistician for TB-CHAMP and lead for the combined data analysis with VQUIN.

For questions or feedback on the series, message us at mrcctu.engage@ucl.ac.uk

For more information and to access the transcript: bit.ly/3XTf8na

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Date of episode recording: 2024-09-23
Duration: 00:32:50
Language of episode: English
Presenter: Charlotte Hartley
Guests: Anneke Hesseling, Trinh Duong
Producer: Charlotte Hartley

Episode 6: The OPTIC study: Patient views on optimising immunotherapy in cancer

UCL Minds — Mon, 01 Jul 2024 12:48:10 +0100

Optimisation immunotherapy clinical trials investigate ways of reducing the intensity of immunotherapy cancer treatment. This could be beneficial for patients’ quality of life. But these trials can be challenging to run, as patients may be concerned about the impact that reducing the intensity of treatment could have on the cancer.

This episode of the Trial Talk podcast focuses on the MRC Clinical Trials Unit at UCL’s OPTIC study, which explores how people with cancer feel about taking part in optimisation immunotherapy trials. Clinical Fellow Sophie Merrick discusses the main barriers that patients face and recommendations to address them.

Resources:
•OPTIC study page: www.mrcctu.ucl.ac.uk/studies/all-st…/refine/optic/
•OPTIC results paper: www.nature.com/articles/s41416-024-02756-x.pdf
•REFINE podcast episode: on.soundcloud.com/Fe3C76csHkgCg2or5

For questions or feedback on the series, message us at mrcctu.engage@ucl.ac.uk

For more information and to access the transcript: bit.ly/4c9SfAr

As a listener, your opinion is very valuable to us. Please help us to improve the podcast in future by filling in this short survey: forms.office.com/e/PjfjQ5Mn6g

Date of episode recording: 2024-06-18T00:00:00Z
Duration: 00:25:23
Language of episode: English
Presenter: Berta Terre-Torras
Guests: Sophie Merrick
Producer: Berta Terre-Torras

Episode 5: Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) in clinical trials

UCL Minds — Tue, 04 Jun 2024 12:07:20 +0100

The MRC Clinical Trials Unit at UCL is committed to actively involving patients and the public in our trials. All our Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) work is overseen by our PPI Group, made up of MRC CTU staff alongside seven patient representatives, with a wide range of experience in different areas. In this episode of the Trial Talk podcast, two members of the Unit’s PPI Group, Richard Stephens and Ian Newsome, discuss what PPI means to them; how they got involved as patient representatives in clinical research; and how the MRC CTU at UCL embeds PPI into our trials.

Resources:
• Our PPI group: www.mrcctu.ucl.ac.uk/patients-publi…our-ppi-group/
• PPI resources: www.mrcctu.ucl.ac.uk/patients-publi…ppi-resources/
• Testing Treatments: Better Research for Better Healthcare (book): www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK66204/

For more information and to access the transcript: bit.ly/3KlKtak
For questions or feedback on the podcast series, message us at mrcctu.engage@ucl.ac.uk
As a listener, your opinion is very valuable to us.
Please help us to improve the podcast in the future by filling in this short survey: forms.office.com/e/PjfjQ5Mn6g

Other details:

Date of episode recording: 2024-05-29T00:00:00Z
Duration: 00:34:43
Language of episode: English
Presenter:Charlotte Hartley
Guests: Ian Newsome, Richard Stephens
Producer: Charlotte Hartley

Episode 4: Estimands - Answering the right research questions

UCL Minds — Fri, 26 Apr 2024 16:57:33 +0100

An estimand is a description of the research question a trial seeks to answer, which can help researchers better understand how their study should be designed and analysed. Estimands also provide a clear way to communicate treatment effects to different stakeholders. This episode of the Trial Talk podcast features Principal Research Fellow Brennan Kahan, exploring how triallists could benefit from using estimands. Brennan also discusses his recent paper which aims to demystify new guidance on the use of estimands.

Resources:
• The estimands framework: a primer on the ICH E9(R1): www.bmj.com/content/384/bmj-2023-076316
• 'We must let the research question drive study methods' opinion piece: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9908044/
• Estimands in cluster-randomized trials: choosing analyses that answer the right question: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9908044/

For more information and to access the transcript: bit.ly/4dazsWF

For questions or feedback on the podcast series, message us at mrcctu.engage@ucl.ac.uk

As a listener, your opinion is very valuable to us. Please help us to improve the podcast in the future by filling in this short survey: forms.office.com/e/PjfjQ5Mn6g

Date of episode recording: 2024-04-25T00:00:00Z
Duration: 00:21:29
Language of episode: English
Presenter: Charlotte Hartley
Guests: Brennan Kahan
Producer: Charlotte Hartley

Episode 3: Subgroup analysis - Who benefits most from a treatment?

UCL Minds — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 11:42:34 +0000

Clinical trial results usually tell us how effective a treatment was on average for the overall group of participants, but a key question for clinicians, patients and policy makers is: which individual patients benefit most from the treatment and which don’t benefit as much? In the latest episode of the Trial Talk podcast, Peter Godolphin and David Fisher discuss a new method for determining how treatment effects differ between subgroups of patients across multiple clinical trials, as well as how other meta-analysis researchers can use it.

Resources:

• Estimating interactions and subgroup-specific treatment effects in meta-analysis without aggregation bias: A within-trial framework onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jrsm.1590
• Cochrane webinar recording training.cochrane.org/resource/estim…-meta-analysis
• GitHub page for metafloat package in Stata github.com/UCL/metafloat
• WHO REACT Group: IL6 Prospective meta-analysis jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2781880
• STOPCAP collaborators: Docetaxel IPD meta-analysis www.thelancet.com/journals/lanonc/…00230-9/fulltext

For questions about the within-trial framework for subgroup analysis, you can email d.fisher@ucl.ac.uk or p.godolphin@ucl.ac.uk.
For more information and to access the transcript: bit.ly/43boETF
For questions or feedback on the podcast series, message us at mrcctu.engage@ucl.ac.uk
As a listener, your opinion is very valuable to us. Please help us to improve the podcast in the future by filling in this short survey: forms.office.com/e/PjfjQ5Mn6g

Date of episode recording: 2024-03-12T00:00:00Z
Duration: 00:28:44
Language of episode: English
Presenter: Charlotte Hartley
Guests: Peter Godolphin, David Fisher
Producer: Charlotte Hartley

Episode 2: Lessons from UKCTOCS, a large-scale trial in ovarian cancer screening

UCL Minds — Mon, 12 Feb 2024 12:48:28 +0000

UKCTOCS (UK Collaborative Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening) is one of the largest screening trials in ovarian cancer. More than 200,000 women from England, Wales and Northern Ireland took part in it, and it ran for almost two decades. Designing and running such a large and lengthy trial came with its own challenges. In this episode, Professor Usha Menon discusses the key challenges that UKCTOCS faced in its design, conduct an analysis, and how the team addressed them.

Further information is available on the UKCTOCS website at ukctocs.mrcctu.ucl.ac.uk

Listen to the episode about the UKCTOCS trial results at bit.ly/48pK94J

For questions or feedback on the series, message us at mrcctu.engage@ucl.ac.uk

For more information and to access the transcript: bit.ly/45XRyWT

As a listener, your opinion is very valuable to us. Please help us to improve the podcast in the future by filling in this short survey: forms.office.com/e/PjfjQ5Mn6g

Date of episode recording: 2023-11-23T00:00:00Z
Duration: 00:26:57
Language of episode: English
Presenter: Berta Terre-Torras
Guests: Usha Menon
Producer: Berta Terre-Torras

Episode 1: Careers in TB trials with Andrew Nunn and Sarah Meredith

UCL Minds — Thu, 01 Feb 2024 14:43:42 +0000

In the first episode of our new Trial Talk series, Hanif Esmail and Conor Tweed take over the microphones to interview Andrew Nunn and Sarah Meredith, who have both recently retired from the Unit, having spent a combined total of 92 years working in the field of tuberculosis (TB). As we celebrate Andrew and Sarah’s long and accomplished careers, we’ll dive into the history of TB clinical trials and muse on the future of TB research.

For more information and to access the transcript: https://www.mrcctu.ucl.ac.uk/news/news-stories/2024/january/new-podcast-episode-careers-in-tb-clinical-trials

Check out our earlier podcast episodes about TB trials, also featuring Andrew Nunn:
• Trial-talk-podcast – The-stream2-trial-how-should-we-treat-multi-drug-resistant-tuberculosis
• Trial-talk-podcast – Andrew-nunn-talks-medical-statistics-tb-and-algerian-nomads-part-1
• Trial-talk-podcast – Andrew-nunn-talks-medical-statistics-tb-and-algerian-nomads-part-2

For questions or feedback on the series, message us at mrcctu.engage@ucl.ac.uk

As a listener, your opinion is very valuable to us. Please help us to improve the podcast in the future by filling in this short survey: forms.office.com/e/PjfjQ5Mn6g

Date of episode recording: 2024-01-26T00:00:00Z
Duration: 28:56
Language of episode: English
Presenters: Charlotte Hartley, Hanif Esmail, Conor Tweed
Guests: Andrew Nunn, Sarah Meredith
Producer: Charlotte Hartley

The Trial Talk podcast explores how our work at the MRC Clinical Trials Unit at UCL is improving health in the UK and worldwide. In this new series, we will hear from world-leading experts about the studies we carry out. We delve into trials on cancer, infections, and neurodegenerative diseases, explore how public and patient involvement shapes our work, and discover new ways to run smarter studies.

Episode 10 (part 2): World AIDS Day: Bringing hope through research to young people living with HIV with Lungile Jafta and Gugu

UCL Minds — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 12:12:57 +0000

Every year on 1st December, we mark World AIDS Day to show solidarity in the fight against HIV and AIDS, and to remember those who have sadly lost their lives. Since the start of the global AIDS epidemic in the 1980s, researchers have made enormous progress towards preventing HIV transmission, and treating those who are living with HIV so that the virus remains suppressed. But while there have been marked improvements for adults, treatment coverage in children and adolescents is lagging behind. In the second of our World AIDS Day episodes, we highlight the important role that young people living with HIV play in research, by shaping clinical trials to better serve the needs of their community. This episode features Lungile Jafta, who works closely with young people through Penta’s youth engagement programmes, and Gugu, a former Youth Trials Board member from South Africa who is living with HIV.

For more information and to access the transcript: https://www.mrcctu.ucl.ac.uk/news/news-stories/2023/december/trial-talk-podcast-releases-new-episodes-for-world-aids-day/

For questions or feedback on the series, message us at mrcctu.engage@ucl.ac.uk As a listener, your opinion is very valuable to us. Please help us to improve the podcast in the future by filling in this short survey: forms.office.com/e/PjfjQ5Mn6g

Date of episode recording: 2023-12-01
Duration: 00:19:01
Language of episode: English
Presenter: Charlotte Hartley
Guests: Lungile Jafta, Gugu (former Youth Trials Board member)
Producer: Charlotte Hartley

Episode 10 (part 1): World AIDS Day: Closing the gap between adults and children with Anna Turkova and Philippa Musoke

UCL Minds — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 12:09:39 +0000

Every year on 1st December, we mark World AIDS Day to show solidarity in the fight against HIV and AIDS, and to remember those who have sadly lost their lives. Since the start of the global AIDS epidemic in the 1980s, researchers have made enormous progress towards preventing HIV transmission, and treating those who are living with HIV so that the virus remains suppressed. But while there have been marked improvements for adults, treatment coverage in children and adolescents is lagging behind. In the first of our World AIDS Day episodes, Dr Anna Turkova, Clinical Principal Research Fellow at the MRC Clinical Trials Unit at UCL, and Philippa Musoke, Professor of Paediatrics and Child Health at Makerere University, explore the reasons for these disparities and how the MRC CTU at UCL is working to close the gap between adults and children through clinical trials.

For more information and to access the transcript: https://www.mrcctu.ucl.ac.uk/news/news-stories/2023/december/trial-talk-podcast-releases-new-episodes-for-world-aids-day/

For questions or feedback on the series, message us at mrcctu.engage@ucl.ac.uk

As a listener, your opinion is very valuable to us. Please help us to improve the podcast in the future by filling in this short survey: forms.office.com/e/PjfjQ5Mn6g

Date of episode recording: 2023-12-01
Duration: 00:24:04
Language of episode: English
Presenter: Charlotte Hartley
Guests: Anna Turkova, Philippa Musoke
Producer: Charlotte Hartley

Episode 9 (part 4): Octopus: Involvement of people affected by MS with Susan Scott

UCL Minds — Fri, 10 Nov 2023 13:16:08 +0000

Octopus is a new clinical trial for people living with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), which is designed and run by the MRC Clinical Trials Unit at UCL. Thanks to its multi-arm multi-stage platform design, Octopus has the potential to transform the way treatments for progressive MS are tested. The trial is now open in the UK and will be recruiting participants for the next few years. The podcast mini-series will explore the trial from different perspectives by talking to neurologists, MS experts and people affected by MS. In the final part, we explore the role of people affected by MS in the Octopus trial. Susan Scott, a pharmaceutical publications specialist and Octopus patient representative, shares her involvement in the trial and explains how PPI has benefited Octopus so far.

For more information and to access the transcript: bit.ly/3S6FKP4

For questions or feedback on the series, message us at mrcctu.engage@ucl.ac.uk.

As a listener, your opinion is very valuable to us. Please help us to improve the podcast in the future by filling in this short survey: forms.office.com/e/PjfjQ5Mn6g.

Date of episode recording: 2023-05-19Duration: 00:20:02Language of episode: EnglishPresenter: Berta Terre-TorrasGuests: Susan ScottProducer: Berta Terre-Torra

Episode 9 (part 3): Octopus: The patients’ experience with Dawn Lyle and Matthew Justin

UCL Minds — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 13:47:53 +0000

Octopus is a new clinical trial for people living with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), which is designed and run by the MRC Clinical Trials Unit at UCL. Thanks to its multi-arm multi-stage platform design, Octopus has the potential to transform the way treatments for progressive MS are tested. The trial is now open in the UK and will be recruiting participants for the next few years. The podcast mini-series will explore the trial from different perspectives by talking to neurologists, MS experts and people affected by MS. In Part 3, MS experts Dawn Lyle and Matthew Justin walk us through the journey that trial participants take when taking part in Octopus, from how to register your interest in the trial, to what to expect on your first visit.

For more information and to access the transcript: https://bit.ly/3S6FKP4

Date of episode recording: 2023-06-06
Duration: 00:24:04
Language of episode: English
Presenter: Berta Terre-Torras
Guests: Dawn Lyle, Matthew Justin
Producer: Berta Terre-Torras

Episode 9 (part 2): Octopus: Introducing the trial with Jeremy Chataway

UCL Minds — Thu, 26 Oct 2023 16:46:47 +0100

Octopus is a new clinical trial for people living with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), which is designed and run by the MRC Clinical Trials Unit at UCL.Thanks to its multi-arm multi-stage platform design, Octopus has the potential to transform the way treatments for progressive MS are tested. The trial is now open in the UK and will be recruiting participants for the next few years. The podcast mini-series will explore the trial from different perspectives by talking to neurologists, MS experts and people affected by MS. Part 1 covers the treatment and research landscape of MS and the challenges of treating progressive MS. It features Jeremy Chataway, neurologist at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery at UCLH, and Professor of Neurology at UCL, and co-lead of the Neurodegenerative Diseases programme at the MRC Clinical Trials Unit at UCL, who is leading the Octopus trial. We also hear from Dawn Lyle, Lead Research MS Nurse, and Matthew Justin, MS Specialist, who are based at the Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurologic Clinic in Edinburgh.

For more information and to access the transcript: https://bit.ly/3S6FKP4

Date of episode recording: 2023-07-06
Duration: 00:24:10
Language of episode: English
Presenter:Berta Terre-Torras
Guests: Jeremy Chataway
Producer: Berta Terre-Torras

Episode 9 (part 1): Octopus: The multiple sclerosis landscape with Jeremy Chataway, Dawn Lyle and Matthew Justin

UCL Minds — Thu, 19 Oct 2023 15:25:11 +0100

Octopus is a new clinical trial for people living with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). Thanks to its multi-arm multi-stage platform design, Octopus has the potential to transform the way treatments for progressive MS are tested. The trial is now open in the UK and will be recruiting participants for the next few years. The podcast mini-series will explore the trial from different perspectives by talking to neurologists, MS experts and people affected by MS. Part 1 covers the treatment and research landscape of MS and the challenges of treating progressive MS. It features Jeremy Chataway, neurologist at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery at UCLH and Professor of Neurology at UCL, who is leading the Octopus trial. We also hear from Dawn Lyle, Lead Research MS Nurse, and Matthew Justin, MS Specialist, who are based at the Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurologic Clinic in Edinburgh.

For more information and to access the transcript: https://bit.ly/3S6FKP4

Date of episode recording: 2023-06-07
Duration: 00:17:20
Language of episode: English
Presenter:Berta Terre-Torras
Guests: Jeremy Chattaway; Dawn Lyle; Matthew Justin
Producer: Berta Terre-Torras

Episode 8: Optimising treatments with the new MAMS-ROCI design

UCL Minds — Wed, 20 Sep 2023 16:08:38 +0100

Innovative platform designs present an opportunity to run faster and more efficient clinical trials. Clinical trials methodology is a research area that looks at how to improve the design, conduct, and analysis of clinical trials. It focuses on developing and implementing new methods to help run trials faster and more efficiently, that will ultimately accelerate the discovery of new treatments. In this episode, methodologist Matteo Quartagno tells us about a new clinical trial design called MAMS-ROCI. It is a type of multi-arm multi-stage design that compares a range of different treatment durations, doses or frequencies to identify the optimal one.

For more information and to access the transcript: https://bit.ly/3ZpyKhG

Date of episode recording: 2023-05-16
Duration: 00:24:28
Language of episode: English
Presenter: Berta Terre-Torras
Guests: Matteo Quartagno
Producer: Berta Terre-Torras

Episode 7: STAMPEDE (part 3): Impact and legacy

UCL Minds — Tue, 12 Sep 2023 12:47:40 +0100

In the final part, Max Parmar and Nick James look back over the trial’s impact on clinical practice and platform trial design, and look forward to STAMPEDE2 and their hopes for the future of prostate cancer research.

Further information is available on the STAMPEDE study page at www.mrcctu.ac.uk
For questions or feedback on the series, message us at mrcctu.engage@ucl.ac.uk

For more information and to access the transcript: bit.ly/3OQWhV8

As a listener, your opinion is very valuable to us. Please help us to improve the podcast in future by filling in this short survey: forms.office.com/e/PjfjQ5Mn6g

Date of episode recording: 2023-08-24
Duration: 00:23:23
Language of episode: English
Presenter: Charlotte Hartley
Guests: Max Parmar, Nick James
Producer: Charlotte Hartley

Episode 7: STAMPEDE (part 2): The role of the patient voice

UCL Minds — Tue, 12 Sep 2023 12:45:55 +0100

We also hear about PPI from the perspective of trial researchers, Max Parmar and Nick James. - Further information is available on the STAMPEDE study page at www.mrcctu.ac.uk For questions or feedback on the series, message us at mrcctu.engage@ucl.ac.uk

For more information and to access the transcript: bit.ly/3OQWhV8

As a listener, your opinion is very valuable to us. Please help us to improve the podcast in future by filling in this short survey: forms.office.com/e/PjfjQ5Mn6g

Date of episode recording: 2023-08-17
Duration: 00:18:00
Language of episode: English
Presenter: Charlotte Hartley
Guests: David Matheson, Max Parmar, Nick James
Producer: Charlotte Hartley

Episode 7: STAMPEDE (part 1): A new era for prostate cancer research

UCL Minds — Wed, 16 Aug 2023 17:11:17 +0100

STAMPEDE is a long-running trial in advanced prostate cancer, in which nearly 12,000 men have taken part. Thanks to its multi-arm multi-stage platform design, STAMPEDE has tested many different treatments and directly led to improvements in the standard of prostate cancer care several times. This Trial Talk podcast mini-series will explore the trial’s journey from its inception in the early 2000s to the end of patient recruitment in March 2023. Part 1 covers the landscape of prostate cancer treatment before STAMPEDE, as well how the trial was designed, featuring two researchers who lead the methodological and clinical sides of the trial: Max Parmar, Professor of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology and Director of the MRC Clinical Trials Unit at UCL and UCL's Institute of Clinical Trials and Methodology, and Nick James, Professor of Prostate and Bladder Cancer Research at the Institute of Cancer Research. Further information is available on the STAMPEDE study page at www.mrcctu.ac.uk For questions or feedback on the series, message us at mrcctu.engage@ucl.ac.uk

For more information and to access the transcript: bit.ly/3OQWhV8

As a listener, your opinion is very valuable to us. Please help us to improve the podcast in future by filling in this short survey: forms.office.com/e/PjfjQ5Mn6g

Date of episode recording: 2023-08-10
Duration: 00:18:03
Language of episode: English
Presenter: Charlotte Hartley
Guests: Max Parmar, Nick James
Producer: Charlotte Hartley

Episode 6: The REFINE trial: how can we improve the way we give cancer immunotherapy?

UCL Minds — Tue, 18 Jul 2023 09:49:27 +0100

Immunotherapy drugs fight cancer by helping the immune system recognise and attack cancer cells. These drugs have revolutionised cancer treatment over the last decade, improving survival for many people with different types of cancer. However, researchers are still unsure of the best way to give immunotherapy, which can come with unpredictable side effects.

In this episode, Clinical Fellow Sophie Merrick discusses how the REFINE trial hopes to address this problem, by testing if giving immunotherapy less frequently can still treat the cancer effectively, whilst improving the quality of life for patients, reducing side effects and costs.

For more information and to access the transcript: www.mrcctu.ucl.ac.uk/news/news-stories/2023/july/new-podcast-episode-the-refine-trial-how-can-we-improve-the-way-we-give-cancer-immunotherapy/

Date of episode recording: 2023-04-19
Duration: 00:16:57
Language of episode: English
Presenter: Berta Terre-Torras
Guests: Sophie Merrick
Producer: Berta Terre-Torras

Episode 5: How can clinical trials make the most of healthcare systems data?

UCL Minds — Tue, 27 Jun 2023 14:33:44 +0100

Running a clinical trial means collecting a lot of data from the trial participants. But some of this data might be collected and stored in healthcare systems, as well as in clinical trial case report forms. What if we could avoid this doubling up, save time and resources, improve recruitment and reduce missing data? In this episode we explore the opportunities and challenges of using healthcare systems data in clinical trials, with Dr Macey Murray and Professor Matt Sydes.

Resources:

British Heart Foundation Data Science Centre webinar (Macey Murray) - www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzQeMUUG7tQ

How to get your own crocheted duck - https://twitter.com/drmakerbaker/status/1628122224971419665?s=20

For more questions or feedback on the series, contact us at mrcctu.engage@ucl.ac.uk

For more information and access to the transcript of this episode: bit.ly/3NKtKjs

Date of episode recording: 2023-06-26
Duration: 00:25:39
Language of episode: English
Presenter: Charlotte Hartley
Guests: Macey Murray, Matt Sydes
Producer: Charlotte Hartley

Episode 4: Neonatal infections (part 2): How the NeoSep1 trial will help treat sick newborns

UCL Minds — Mon, 12 Jun 2023 16:35:09 +0100

Neonatal sepsis is a life-threatening infection that affects up to 3 million babies per year globally. In an effort to identify better treatments, the NeoSep1 clinical trial evaluates new antibiotic combinations for newborn babies with sepsis. To learn more about the trial, we speak to Adrie Bekker and Cristina Obiero, principal investigators of the trial in South Africa and Kenya, Reenu Thomas, a neonatologist from South Africa, and Francesca Schiavone, the clinical project manager of the NeoSep1 trial in London.

For more information and to access the transcript: https://bit.ly/3MSKkw5

Date of episode recording: 2022-11-24
Duration: 00:21:13
Language of episode: English
Presenter:Berta Terre-Torras
Guests: Reenu Thomas; Adrie Bekker; Cristina Obiero; Francesca Schiavone
Producer: Berta Terre-Torras

Episode 4: Neonatal infections (part 1): The NeoOBS study and the global challenge of neonatal sepsis

UCL Minds — Mon, 22 May 2023 11:37:02 +0100

214,000 newborn babies die of sepsis caused by infections that are resistant to antibiotics every year. This is a major problem worldwide, but disproportionally affects low- and middle- income countries. Reenu Thomas and Adrie Bekker, two neonatologists from South Africa, and Francesca Schiavone, clinical project manager at the MRC CTU at UCL in London, discuss the challenges of treating neonatal sepsis and present the results from an observational study (NeoOBS), which assessed mortality rates of babies with sepsis.

For more information and to access the transcript: https://www.mrcctu.ucl.ac.uk/news/news-stories/2023/may/new-podcast-episode-neonatal-infections-part-1-the-neoobs-study-and-the-global-challenge-of-neonatal-sepsis/

Date of episode recording: 2022-11-24
Duration: 23:49
Language of episode: Enlish
Presenter:Berta Terre-Torras
Guests: Reenu Thomas, Adrie Bekker, Francesca Schiavone
Producer: Berta Terre-Torras

Episode 3: The STREAM2 trial - how should we treat multi-drug resistant tuberculosis?

UCL Minds — Fri, 24 Mar 2023 08:00:00 +0000

For World TB Day, this episode explores the global burden of tuberculosis (TB) and how growing antibiotic resistance can complicate treatment options. Andrew Nunn, a Professor of Epidemiology, discusses his work on the STREAM2 trial, which investigated how treatment for multi-drug resistant TB could be shortened and made more acceptable for patients. Further information is available on the STREAM Stage 2 study page at www.mrcctu.ac.uk and results from STREAM2 are published open access in The Lancet.

For more information and to access the transcript: https://www.mrcctu.ucl.ac.uk//media/2327/stream2-podcast-transcript.docx

Date of episode recording: 2023-03-24
Duration: 00:19:59
Language of episode: English
Presenter:Charlotte Hartley
Guests: Andrew Nunn
Producer: Charlotte Hartley

Episode 2: Part 2 - Sharing the Results of Clinical Trials with Participants

UCL Minds — Thu, 24 Nov 2022 16:48:02 +0000

We have an ethical obligation to offer results to trial participants. Annabelle South explores the challenges of sharing results and talks about the best ways of communicating results from an ovarian cancer trial. As a final note, Annabelle reflects on what should be the next steps to ensure that all trial participants find out about the results. This is part 2 of “Sharing results of clinical trials with participants”.

Link to Part 1: https://soundcloud.com/trial-talk-podcast/sharing-results-of-clinical-trials-with-participants-part-1

For more information and to access the transcript: https://www.mrcctu.ucl.ac.uk/news/news-stories/2022/november/new-podcast-episode-sharing-results-of-clinical-trials-with-participants-part-2/

Episode 2: Part 1 - Sharing Results of Clinical Trials with Participants

UCL Minds — Thu, 24 Nov 2022 16:46:33 +0000

Clinical trials depend on people volunteering to take part, often at increased risk or inconvenience. Research shows that most trial participants want to know what the trial finds, but many never get to find this out. Annabelle South talks about why sharing results is important and how the Show RESPECT study tested different ways of sharing results with participants.

In this episode we explore why sharing results with participants is important, based on findings from the Show RESPECT study (published doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003798 )

Episode 1: The ARCHERY study – Can AI transform the way we plan radiotherapy treatment globally?

UCL Minds — Thu, 24 Nov 2022 12:41:03 +0000

More than 50% of people living with cancer that need radiotherapy in low- and middle-income countries can't have it. Ajay Aggarwal presents the ARCHERY study, an exciting trial looking at the benefits of using artificial intelligence (AI) for radiotherapy treatment planning, which could improve access to high-quality cancer treatment globally.

For questions or feedback on the series, message us on mrcctu.engage@ucl.ac.uk

For more information and to access the transcript: www.mrcctu.ucl.ac.uk/news/news-stories/2022/october/trial-talk-podcast-launches-with-episode-on-artificial-intelligence-for-planning-radiotherapy-treatment/